Fortitudo: Cantù 2-0. Thursday at PalaDozza last chance for Effe

Bologna, 12 May 2025 - The bis Cantu and this time with a bigger appetite. At PalaDesio arrives the Fortitudo's second consecutive defeat of coach Attilio Caja (Gherardo Sabatini on the scoresheet after 6 months, replacing Luca Vencato), who raises the white flag 81-67 and on Thursday at 20,30 pm the last chance to extend the series of the A2 quarter-finals will be played at the PalaDozza. Carousel of errors and lost balls on both sides in the first 3' of the game, with Valentini and Basile responding to Bolpin's support and Gabriel's free throws: Effe is solid in defense (8 turnovers by Cantù in the first 10'), but is unable to capitalize on its multiple possessions as it would like. A raid by Fantinelli and a semi-hook, a recovery and a dunk by Freeman, a three-pointer by Gabriel, free throws by Bolpin and Bologna suddenly runs away to +8 and with more hunger than the home team (0-8 partial). Brianzoli, however, gets back on track with the entry of Okeke, who shortens the gap just before Freeman's support on the glass at the end of the first quarter (14-18). Bolpin and Basile are the ones exchanging blow after blow at the beginning of the second quarter, with Bologna preserving the advantage before Baldi Rossi's solo support, completely forgotten by Gabriel (23-22). As if it were a carbon copy of game 1, Fortitudo frays in defense and loses the vitality of the beginning: Basile takes the area, De Nicolao orchestrates, McGee punishes and Cantù makes it 31-27. The guests' reaction comes with the low post of the 'Fante' and the triple of Aradori that give oxygen in the moment of greatest disorder of Bologna, but Riisma and McGee block the partial at birth and shoulder the Effe 38-32, a result with which they go to the break.

It's here Cantù marks the before and after, pushing on the accelerator with such force as to stun Bologna: the Valentini-McGee-Houge sequence, interspersed with the useless technical for protests to Gabriel, ploughs through the +17 that seems to direct game 2 towards the epilogue. However Aradori, Gabriel and Bolpin mend the snag up to -6 with 60” to play in the third quarter, but McGee's triple at the end re-establishes the hierarchy (65-56). Blitz by a gigantic Aradori and in a flash Fortitudo is again at -5 at 34', but when it's time to tighten up Cantù raises the revs again with Basile, McGee, Hogue and Moraschini's triple and with 90” to go it's 79-67. Bologna is on the ropes and now has the last chance to stay alive in this championship: Thursday they go to 'Madison'.

The little table

Cantu 81

Fortitude 67

Saint Bernard water Cantu: Valentini 6, Baldi Rossi 4, Moraschini 5, De Nicolao 3, Piccoli 2, Beltrami n/o, Basile 20, McGee 23, Hogue 5, Riismaa 7, Viganò n/o, Okeke 6. Coach Brienza.

Flat Service Fortitude Bologna: Costoli n/a, Aradori 17, Gabriel 21, Battistini n/a, Bolpin 11, Panni, Cusin 4, Mian 2, Fantinelli 6, Freeman 6, Sabatini n/a. Coach Caja. Referees: Barbiero, Di Biase and Giunta.

Notes: partials 14-18; 38-32; 65-56.

Two-Point Shooting: Cantù 20/31; Fortitudo 18/37. Three-Point Shooting: 10/29; 8/25. Free Throws: 11/18; 7/7. Rebounds: 43; 28.